Sweet Roasted Squash

I'm trying something a little different with this post.

Some days leave me feeling more like a short order cook than a beloved member of the family and I'm guessing I'm not alone. So for this post, I thought you might appreciate not only a 'master' recipe that's free of the eight major food allergens, but also tips for how to adapt it for the rest of the family too. Sound good?

But first a little backstory. Things in my kitchen have been a little more challenging the past few months. I've been avoiding seeds, nuts, legumes, and red meat (as well as my other trigger foods) in an effort to heal the leaky gut I've developed thanks to Lyme's Disease. And breakfast has been so uninspiring. And a few weeks ago when the weather began to turn, I was really craving something warm and substantial. Then one evening as I added maple syrup into my roasted squash mix, I had the epiphany to try squash for breakfast! And now I'm hooked.

Winter squash is nutrient-dense and just sweet enough to start the day off right. I've been making big batches to store in the fridge, and each morning I warm up one serving in the toaster oven. It's perfect. I like to stir in an extra teaspoon of coconut oil, a good sprinkle of ground cinnamon, and some unsweetened shredded coconut (like I've pictured above), but you could also add a drizzle of coconut milk or pure maple syrup over top to make it even more decadent.

Honey Nut Squash (left) and Kabocha (on the right).

Recipe Notes:

I've been buying an assortment of squash each week, depending on what is organic and cheap. I like varieties with sweet flesh that are a manageable size. Butternut, Buttercup, Kabocha, small Hubbard varieties, and Honey Nut are all good choices. Acorn squash could work in a pinch but you would need to sweeten it a bit; and beware that Spagetti Squash is too fibrous for this recipe. If you don't have a good selection simply use one variety or substitute yams for some of the squash. No biggie.

You'll want to look for dense, heavy squash. If it feels light compared to it's size, chances are it's been there a while and is starting to dry out. It may be cheaper, but it won't taste better — trust me.

You could select a really large squash to use in this recipe, but be mindful of the effort it'll take to prep it. You'll need a really large knife (and muscle!) to break it down. Which can be fun (if you're channeling your inner ninja) or absolutely exhausting (if you're just not in the mood). So keep that in mind.

If you'd rather leave the chopping to someone else, you can now purchase fresh, prepared squash at most grocery stores. However, it's usually in rather large chunks. So if you go that route either increase the cooking time accordingly or cut them into smaller pieces when you get home (just be mindful to keep all of the pieces the same size so that they cook evenly).

One last note: When I roast the squash specifically for breakfast I'll use coconut oil to give it a little extra sweetness, but any other time I usually just use pure olive oil. Why not experiment and see which you prefer?

So here's a few more things you can do with this recipe:

Eat it for breakfast. As I said, this has been my go-to breakfast for the past couple of weeks and I couldn't be happier. Allergy-free breakfast sausage is delicious with it too. And I just discovered that roasting a few small handfuls of fresh cranberries along with the squash is amazing!

Make it as a side-dish for dinner. Roast some chicken breast in the oven along with the squash and steam some fresh broccoli on the stovetop. Simple but good.

Mash the roasted squash and serve as a side dish. Make a nice little well for some coconut oil (or if you can tolerate dairy try a pat of *butter or *ghee) and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Turn it into soup. Mash or puree the roasted squash with some coconut milk and/or water to thin it out and add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Warm it up on the stovetop and you've got soup.

Stick it in a blender and make a smoothie. You could add coconut milk or chai tea as a base, then add banana, sunflower butter, chocolate or maca powder, a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom. Be creative!

Make a squash sundae. Add some allergy-free chocolate chips, *whipped cream, sprinkles or *caramel sauce (LoveBean has a great one that's 8SAFE). Hey —try it before you sayI'm crazy!

Sweet Roasted Squash

This master recipe makes enough roasted squash for five to six good size portions for breakfast (approx. 2 cups for each serving). This is a very flexible recipe and all measurements are approximate. I highly recommend 'eyeballing' the ingredients rather than getting any extra utensils dirty.

A recipe is only 8SAFE if it is free of gluten and the top eight food allergens. Please be mindful of this when selecting products to use in this recipe, and double check the ingredients of the products you use.

Preheat oven to 425℉. Toss all ingredients together in a big bowl, then spread in single layer over two sheet pans. Roast in oven for 15 minutes, toss, then roast another 15 minutes until soft.

Enjoy!

While I do my best to keep 8SAFE product suggestions up to date, please keep in mind that manufacturers change their ingredients and formulas from time to time (it's also human nature to make a mistake now and then, and I'm no exception). So be sure to double check all products to be free of gluten and the top eight food allergens before preparing an 8SAFE recipe.

Hold on! I've got a few more recipes to share with you!

Have you checked out The Casual Veggie yet? It's a collection of 166 veggie-centered recipes that my friend Mollie from Parsley & Pumpkins has lovingly put together in a digital cookbook. It covers 29 common vegetables in a collaboration with 48 bloggers (myself included!). And you know what the best part is? More than seventy recipes can easily be made 8SAFE & allergy free. More than 70!!! (Click HERE for the full list). Check out the cookbook, then come back here and join the party!

I've hopped on board a 'Potluck Party' with some of the other contributing bloggers to give you a feel for what you can expect in The Casual Veggie. It's an honor to be involved in this project among so many talented women. Enjoy!